Torch



March 27, 1945. WALKER TORCH F lled Nov. 4, 1941 FIG. 6

FIG.5.

- INVENT GEORGE L. WAL R ATTORNEY Patented TORCH 1 George L. Walker, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1941, Serial No. 417,752

5 Claims.

This invention relates to torches, and especially of oxy-fuel gas torches.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for lighting torches. In the case of welding torches,.all of the gas discharged from the torch is ordinarily a mixture of oxygen and fuel gas. Cutting torches and scarflng torches which deliver oxygen streams only when the torch is in actual use, also have oxy-fuel gas preheating flames; and in cases where the use of the torch is intermittent, considerable cost can be saved by extinguishing the preheating flames between cutting or scarflng operations. This invention provides an improved pilot light for lgniting the oxy-fuel gas Jets.

In accordance with one feature of the invention the pilot light is automatic, that is, the small pilot flame is automatically extended to reach the oxy-fuel gas jets when the torch valves are operated to supply the oxygen and fuel gas for those jets. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the valve that increases the gas flow to the pilot flame is operated by the same control handle that operates one or more of the valves for supplying gas to the oxy-fuel gas jets.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved control means for operating gas valves in a desired sequence. One feature of the invention relates to the operation in sequence of valves that control the supply of fuel gas, such as acetylene, preheating oxygen for mixing with the fuel gas, and a main stream of oxygen for cutting or scarflng, Another feature of the invention relates to the sequence of operation of the pilot control valve and the other gas supply valves of the torch.

The invention provides a simplified construction for a torch having a pilot light, and a simplified construction that can be used on cutting or scarflng torches with or without a pilot light. The invention will be described as embodied in a scarflng torch, but it is not limited to such torches, and some or all of the features of the invention can be used with deseaming, cutting, or welding torches.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof: I

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a torch embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view'of the head of the torch shown in Fig. 1,,but without the tip, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig.3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig; 2.

Fig.4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line ll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of V Fig. 4

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig.4.

The torch shown in the drawing has a handle portion l0, and a head ll connected to the handle portion by tubes l2, l3, l4 and IS. A tip I6 is detachably secured to the head H by a tip nut II in a manner well understood in the art. The tip has a central bore l8 through which a jet of oxygen for cutting or scarflng is delivered against the work, and there are a plurality of smaller jet orifices l9 surrounding the bore l8 for directing preheating flames toward the work, The tip I 6 is of a conventional construction.

Cutting oxygen is supplied to the head H and tip 16 through the tube I2. Oxygen for the preheating flames is supplied through tube 14, and fuel gas, for example acetylene, through the tube 13. I

A special tip 2| is threaded into a recess 22 (Fig. 2) of the torch head II. This tip supplies gas for a pilot flame. Gas flows to the tip 2| through the tube l5 and through a, conduit 23 in the head II. The axis of the pilot tip 2| and to the axis of the tip iii of the torch preferably converge inthe direction of the gas flow, but the angle of convergence is very small. The advantage of such construction is that the pilot tip is equally as efiective with any length of tip that may be connected to the head II in place of the scarfing tip l6. Instead of the special tip 2|, the pilot light may be just an orifice drilled in the head ll.

Within the handle I there are valves for controlling the supply of gas to each of the tubes l2, l3, l4 and I5. All of these valves are quickacting shut-oil valves except the valve for controlling the pilot flame. That valve permits a small stream of gas to flow to the pilot tip 2| at all times and can be moved into one position where a greatly augmented supply of gas causes the pilot flame to surge downward as far-as the end of the main tip l6 for igniting the preheating name. When the torch is not going to be used for some time and it is desired to shut oil even the pilot flame, the fuel gassupply is turned oiI by a valve beyond the torch because there is no position of the pilot valve that completely shuts oi! the gas supply to the pilot times will be explained more fully in describing the valve construction. 1

Within the handle In there is a valve block 26. Fuel gas, such as acetylene, flows into the valve block through a conduit or passage 26 (Fig. 5). A valve element 21 when held against a valve seat 26 by a spring 29 prevents gas in the passage 26 from entering a chamber 30. The valve element 21 can be moved into open position, against the tension of the spring 29 by displacing a stem or plunger 32 that extends through a stufllng-box 33 in a wall of the valve casing. 7

When the valve element 21 is in open position, gas flows from the passage 26, past the valve element 21, through the chamber 36, and thence through a conduit or passage 34 that leads to the tube 3 through which the gas flows to the torch tip.

Thesupply of oxygen for the preheating jets is controlled by a valve element 36 (Fig. 4) which is similar in construction to the fuel gas control valve 21. The preheating oxygen enters the valve block through a. conduit orpassage 38 (Fig. 6), and when the valve element 36 is in open position, flows past that valve element to a conduit or passage 39 that communicates directly with the tube I4 leading to the torch head.

' The valve element 36 is moved into open position by a stem or plunger 46 (Fig. 4) which is slightly shorter than the plunger 32 that operatesthe acetylene supply valve. The plungers 32 and 46 are operated by a. common lever 4| that is connected to the torch by a fulcrum pivot 42 (Fig. 1) of a yoke 43 attached to the handle In, of the torch. Because of the diilerence in the lengths of the plungers 32 and 40, upward movement of the lever 4| displaces the plunger 32 a little ahead of the plunger All and thus supplies acetylene to the torch tip before the preheating Oxy The supply of scarfing oxygen is controlled by a quick-acting shut-01f valve similar to the valves that control the acetylene and preheating oxygen. The scarfing oxygen control valve is operated by a stem or plunger 45 which is displaced by the lever 4| after the acetylene and preheating oxygen control valves have been opened by operation of the plungers 32 and 40. The relation of the scarring oxygen supply valve to the other valves is shown in Fig. 6. The scarfing oxygen enters the valve block 25 through a passage 41 and flows to the tube |2 through a passage 46. The valve element that is operated by the plunger 45 (Fig. 1)

to control the suppl of scarfing oxygen from passage 41 (Fig. 6) to passage 48 is indicated by the reference character 49. The scarfing oxygen control valve 49 is at a difierent level from. the valves 21 and 36 in the valve block 25, as is indicated by the height of the passage 48 above the passages 34 and 39 in Fig. 4.

There is a pilot valve chamber 5| in the valve block 25 and this chamber'is connected with the chamber that contains the acetylene control valve 21 by a cross drilling 52. Gas cannot pass the valve seat 28 when the valve element 21 is in closed position, but the valve element 21 fits freely enough in the valve block 25 for fuel gas from the passage 26 to flow around the valve element 21 and through the cross drilling 52 regardless of whether the valve element 21 is in open or closed position.

A thimble 54 threaded into the valve block 25 provides a cylindrical bearing in which a valve 55 slides. A peripheral groove in the outside surface of the thimble 54 forms an annular chamber 56 from which a passageil leads to the tube l5 that supplies fuel to the pilot tip. The valve 55 is not a gas-tight fit in the thimble 54, and gas from the cross drilling 52 ilows through the chamber 5| and through the clearance between thimble 54 and valve 55 to'oriflces 59 that ppen through the sides of the thimble and into the annular chamber 56. There is, therefore, a steady flow of fuel gas to thepilot light at all times, but the clearance around the slide valve 55 is small and the flow of fuel gas to the pilot is thus limited to a low rate.

In order to project the pilot flame down to the end of the torch tip when the preheating flames are to be ignited, the slide valve 55 is provided with an annular groove 6| that communicates through radial drillings with a, passage 62 opening through the upper end of the slide valve 55. When the slide valve 55 is in such position that the groove 6| registers with the orifices 59, the fuel gas can flow through the passage 62 and through the radial drillings to the groove 6|. This unobstructed passage for fuel gas to the pilot tip greatly increases the supply of fuel gas and gives the desired increase in the size of the flame;

The slide valve 55 has a plunger or stem 64 that extends through a stufiing-box 65 at one end of the thimble 54. A spring 61 surrounding the stem 64 and compressed between the stuflingbox 65 and a collar 66 on the stem 64 urges the slide valve 55 into the lowered position shown in Fig. 4. The stem 64 is displaced upward by the same movement of the lever 4| that raises the plungers 32 and 46 to open the acetylene and preheating oxygen supply valves, and subsequently the scarring oxygen suppl valve. The groove 6| is in such position with respect to the length of the stem 64 that the groove 6| moves into register with the orifices '53 just after the plunger 32 has opened the acetylene supply valve 21 far enough to furnish fuel gas to the preheating flame jet orifices of the tip. As the lever is raised further to open the preheating oxygen supply valve, and then the scarring oxygen valve, there is no longer any need for an elongated pilot flame and the movement of the groove 6| up beyond the orifices 59 causes the gas supply to the pilot flame to drop down again to what can flow through the clearance between the slide valve 55 and the wall of the thimble in which it slides. Thus the construction of the pilot valve provides for an automatic and temporary increase in the pilot flame at the proper time for lighting the preheating flame jets. The pilot control valve and the valves that control the supply of both acetylene and oxygen to the preheating flame jets, all have enough over-travel so that they can continue to move after they are open and in response to the continued upward movement of the lever 4| to operate the scarring oxygen valve.

Various changes and modifications can be made in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, and some features of the invention can be used without others.

I claim:

1. A torch comprising a head, a tip supported by the head, a pilot light, conduits for conducting preheating oxygen, cutting or scarflng oxygen and a hydrocarbon fuel ga to the tip and a hydrocarbon fuel gas to the pilot light, a valve for controlling the flow of preheating oxygen to the tip, a valve for controlling the flow of cutting or scarflng oxygen to the tip, a valve for controlling the flow of fuel gas to the tip, a valve for controlling the flow of a part of the fuel gas to the pilot light, a handle movable within certain limits, and valve-operatin means for each of such valves, a portion of the operating means for each of said valves being in-the path of movement of said handle and respectively positioned so that they are displaced by movement of the handle in one direction for successive opening of the fuel gas supply valve, the pilot control valve, the preheating oxygen supply valve and the cutting or scartlng supply valve, the pilot control valve being so constructed and arranged that after being opened by movement of the handle, to increase the supply of fuel gas to the pilot light, further movement of the handle in the same direction will cause the supply of fuel gas to the pilot light to be decreased.

2. A torch comprising a head for supporting a tip, a pilot light for igniting ga which flows from the tip, valves for controlling the supply of oxygen and fuel gas to the tip, a slide valve for regulating the flow of fuel gas to the pilot light, a chamber in which the slide valve is enclosed, and means for supplying fuel gas to said chamher, said slide valve having an opening therein that normally communicates with the chamber and registers, at a po;nt intermediate the ends of the slide valve stroke, with a port in the wall of the chamber which communicates with the pilot light, to supply additional fuel gas from the chamber to the pilot light.

3. A torch including a valve for controlling the supply of fuel gas to a tip, a pilot light, a handle for operating the fuel gas supply valve, another valve for controlling a part of the supply of fuel to the pilot light, a chamber in which the pilot-light control valve moves, means for supplying fuel gas tovsaid chamber, a conduit through which a quantity of gas sufllcient to sustain a pilot flame flows past the pilot-light control valve when said pilot-light control valve is in closed position, said pilot-light control valve having an opening that normally communicates with the chamber and registers with a port in the wall of the chamber to supply additional gas from the chamber to the pilot light when the pilot-light control valve is in a certain position, said position being intermediate the limits of movement of the control valve to allow overtravel of the valve, and means operably connected with the handle for actuating said control valve.

4. A torch comprising a handle poition and a I head, the latter supporting a tip, a pilot light for igniting gas which flows from the tip, valves carried by the handle portion for controlling the supply of oxygen and fuel gas to the tp, the handle portion having a chamber therein. means for supplying fuel gas to said chamber, a passage leading from said chamber to the pilot light to supply a quantity of fuel gas suflicient to maintain said pilot light, a valve member slidable in said chamber for regulating said pilot light. the wall of the chamber having passage means therethrough, intermediate the limits of movement of said valve member and communicating with said first mentioned passage, and means for sliding said valve member in said chamber to control, at a point intermediateits travel, the flow of additional fuel gas through said passage means.

5. A torch having a tip and passages for supplying fuel gas and oxygen to the tip, a pilot light for igniting fuel gas as it comes from the tip, separate valves for controlling the supply of fuel gas and the supply of oxygen to the tip, a slide valve for regulating the flow of fuel gas to the pilot light, a chamber in which said slide valve is enclosed, means for supplying fuel gas to said chamber, said slide valve having an opening therein that normally connects with the cham her and registers at a point intermediate the ends of the slide valve stroke, with a port in the wall of the chamber which communicates with the pilot light, to supply additional fuel gas from the chamber to the pilot light, means for operating the fuel gas and oxygen supply valves, and motion-transmitting means between said slide valve and the means for operating at least one of the supply valves, so constructed and arranged that the pilot light control valve always opens after the fuel gas supply valve.

GEORGE L. WALKER. 

